Michael
Chiesa imposed his will through patience, persistence and pure
technique.

Takedowns, ground-and-pound and a heavy top game spurred “The
Ultimate Fighter 15” winner to a unanimous decision over Francisco
Trinaldo at UFC
173 “Barao vs. Dillashaw” on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden
Arena in Las Vegas. All three cageside judges scored it for Chiesa
(11-1, 4-1 UFC): 30-27, 30-26 and 30-26.

Trinaldo (14-4, 4-3 UFC) was never much of a factor. Chiesa steered
clear of his power when upright, struck for timely takedowns and
went to work from top position. The 26-year-old Aurora, Colo.,
native was at his best in the first round, where he remained in
full mount for nearly two minutes, bashing Trinaldo with short
punches and elbows.

Surging Ferguson KOs Kikuno

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 13 winner Tony
Ferguson won for the eighth time in nine appearances, as he
knocked out former Deep champion Katsunori
Kikuno with a ringing right cross in the first round of their
undercard battle at 155 pounds. Ferguson (15-3, 5-1 UFC) brought it
to a close 4:06 into round one.

Kikuno (22-6-2, 1-1 UFC) tagged “El Cucuy” during their initial
exchanges, as the Japanese karateka kept him off-balance with his
awkward, hands-down approach. However, a pair of sharp left hands
turned the tide for Ferguson, who had his foe on the run with
straight punching combinations. He later threatened with a brabo
choke before resuming his assault on the feet, eventually cracking
Kikuno with a right hand to the jaw that sent him crashing to the
mat, his head bouncing off the canvas.

The loss snapped a six-fight winning streak for the 32-year-old
Kikuno, who had never before been knocked out.

Undefeated Holdsworth Dominates Camus

Team Alpha Male’s Chris
Holdsworth passed the most significant test of his career, as
he captured a one-sided unanimous verdict from Chico Camus
in an undercard match at 135 pounds. All three cageside judges
scored it the same: 30-27 for the unbeaten Holdsworth (6-0, 2-0
UFC).

Camus (14-5, 3-2 UFC) -- who replaced the injured Kyung Ho
Kang on short notice -- enjoyed some success standing, but he
was rarely allowed to operate there. Holdsworth grounded him with
relative ease, short-circuiting him with a smothering top game that
alternated between ground-and-pound and submission attempts. “The
Ultimate Fighter” Season 18 winner moved to mount in all three
rounds, establishing his superiority over Camus.

Clarke Chokes Iaquinta Unconscious

Iaquinta (8-3-1, 3-2 UFC) controlled much of the match. The
Serra-Longo Fight Team representative staggered Clarke with a right
hand in the first round, followed him to the canvas and slid into
side control, working his ground-and-pound from the top. In the
second, Clarke lured Iaquinta back to the ground, countered a guard
pass with the choke from the bottom and hooked “The Ultimate
Fighter” Season 15 finalist’s leg with his own, leaving him no
means of escape.

Njoukuani (16-8, 3-4 UFC) was given no space through which to
execute his game plan. Pichel turned on the jets in the second
round, where he swarmed the Nigeria-born Texan with clinches and
neutralized him with one takedown after another. The 31-year-old
Lancaster, Calif., native appeared close to a finish at one point
in the frame, as he tagged the exposed Njokuani with thudding right
hands on the ground. The muay Thai stylist survived, only to be
taken down three times and mounted twice over the final five
minutes.

Phillips (5-1, 0-1 UFC), who replaced the injured Doo Ho Choi,
did well in the standup, as he backed up his counterpart with a
series of kicks and knees to the body. However, Sicilia closed the
distance without much resistance and repeatedly dragged the
still-green Louisianan to the canvas. He piled up points and put
the finishing touches on the victory in round three, where he
grounded Phillips, attacked with standing-to-ground punches and
eventually set up shop in side control.

China’s Li Edges Michaud

China Top Team’s Jingliang
Li made a successful Octagon debut, as he took a split decision
from “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 16 alum David
Michaud in an undercard scrap at 170 pounds. Two of the three
cageside judges, Junichiro Kamijo and Tony Weeks, scored it for Li
(9-2, 1-0 UFC) by 29-28 and 30-27 scores; a third, Dave Hagen, cast
a dissenting 29-28 nod in Michaud’s favor.

Leg kicks, takedowns and ground-and-pound were the weapons of
choice for Li, though a stiff jab also served him well. A
replacement for the injured Danny
Mitchell, Michaud (7-1, 0-1 UFC) did his best work in the
second round, where he briefly moved to the Chinese import’s back.
Li closed with a flourish, as he grinded on the South Dakotan from
top position late in the fight, freeing himself from a desperation
guillotine choke.